The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-11

but don't want you 70 tell him so, cause
you know he might think me very bold.
Now, don't you tell Mr.. Charlie, you hear,
Mr.. Woodbury.
Charlie crept up cautiously behind the
speaker, and, as she turned around, he
caught her in his arms and kissed her.
"Oh, my how could you do such a thing"
she cried as she vigorously pulled away from
his embrace.
Mrs Woodbury. smiled, addressed few
words to little cripple boy in the group,
and then passing up the walk took seat
upon the porch. Through the open win
dows of the parlor came the sound of ia
miliar voices:
"They have returned from their ride"
said the lady, and Just here the door of the
front parlor opened softly, and Virgil adj
vanced toward her.
"Mrs Woodbury., Miss Florine and | de-
sire your presence in the parlor for few
moments he said, bowling. "Wn you
thus favor us!"
Certainly" and rising, she accompanied
him into the parlor.
The entrance of her mother seemed deeply
to embarraSS Florinc Instantly her eyes
sought the carpet, while her slender fingers
toyed nervously with her watch-chain. Viz
gil paused at her side, and, placing his hand
upon the back of her chair, turned to her
mother and said:
Mrs. Woodbury., for five weeks | have
spent part of each evening in your
daughters society, and during that time
have grown to love her very dearly. This
afternoon for the first time made confess
sion of my love and asked her to become
my wife, and such she has promised to be-
with your sanction. What do you say
Mrs. Woodbury. Can you intrust your
daughter to me for lifeT'
AS he ceased speaking, Mrs. Woodbury.
placed Florines hand in his, and looking
proudly up into his handsome face said:
Eyes; can intrust her to you. There is
no man to whom l would more cheerfully
give the hand of my child. Take her, sir ;
she Is yours; and may Gods blessing, as
well as mine, always rest upon you both"
Here Charlie, ignorant of what was going
ON in the parlor, unceremoniously opened
the door and walked in.
81 thought you were alone, mother he said
pardon my intrusion, Virgil and Florine,"
he added, glarcing mischievously toward
the lovers. 81 didn't know you had re-
turned from your ride"
''We have been back nearly half an hour"
said Virgil. Then pausing a minute, evil
IDENTIFY embarrassed, he continued:
''Charlie, your mother has just promised
your sisters hand to ME in marriage Now,
| want your consent, too. What say you,
my friend? Does our betrothal meet with
your approvalP
|
! said the young minister, squeezing his
friends hand, while his eyes danced with
joy. Chlorine" turning to his sister, ''let
me congratulate you on the wise choice you
have made. You could not have given your
heart to a better, a nobler man. For years
| have loved Virgil as l would love
brother and often wished that such tie
really existed between u.s."
And here the impulsive young man, his
eyes ablaze with the merry twinkle they
had worn in his boyhood, kissed his sister,
and would have kissed Virgil also had it not
been for the righteousness of such an act
The evening passed pleasantly away. At
| 10 o'clock Virgil babe his betrothed and her
family good night, and, with a heart over
flowing with hope and happiness, turned his
face homeward. All the way down town
he seemed to live in the future, which never
before had appeared so bright.
As he entered the building in which were
| situated his rooms, he muttered to himself:
''Soon | shall bid farewell to these quarters,
about which such an air of dullness has
come within the last five weeks. A few
months hence, and l shall have exchanged
this abominable bachelors abode for de-
lightful home uptown, with my queenly and
beautiful Florine as its mistress"
And, softly humming a tune, he inserted
his latch-key in the door of his chamber,
and quietly passed in. Stretched upon the
floor, side by side, in peaceful repose, lay
Milton and his Newfoundland pet. Ii was
beautiful picture. The little fellows right
hand rested upon the animals neck his left
upon broad-brimmeds straw hat at his left
side, and on the lovely, innocent face was
smile of ineffable sweetness, as though his
| pure Young spirit might have been holding
intercourse with angels. Virgil stopped and
kissed the youthful sleeper, saying gently:
"Get up, Milton, ard go to bedr'
| No answer came.
Milton! Milton!n
The boys blue eyes opened slowly; then
closed again. His brother called him again,
The child arose slowly, and, rubbing his
eyes, said:
Brother, / thought you never would
come thought | would wait for you, but
| got so sleepy / dropped right down on the
floor and went to sleep.
With these words, uttered in dreamy
voice, with his eyes half closed, the lad D ro-
ceeded to disrobe himself His pants he
tossed in the middle of the floor; his shirt he
| dropped at his feet; and his collier and neck
tie he threw ON a table. Dreamily he went
through his prayers. Then, rising from his
knees, he kissed his brother, as he had
nightly done since he was a baby, and
quietly went to bed, to which Virgil soon
| followed him.
After breakfast the next morning the
| young lawyer lnOJlOu6u DTObueT 10 SlU
down beside him, and, when Milton had
done so, Virgil passed his arm around the
boys neck and said:
"Milton, how do you like the idea of hav-
| ing Miss'Florine for a sister,"
II don't like it at ALT" replied the child
''She is so mean and cross. Brother, you
are not going to marry her sure enough, are
your
'She and are engaged, and will be
married about the middle of October or the
| first of November" calmly and coldly re-
piled Virgil. SPY that time | hope you
will have conquered the groundless preiu-
dice you are cherishing toward her She
has never harmed you that you should act
| toward her as you do. The manner in which
you avoid her hurts her deeply. She tells
| me that on yesterday morning you and she
were coming toward each other on Frank
lin street. and that as soon as you saw her
you deliberately retraced your steps and
| hurried around the next corner"
81 reckon when you and she are married,
| she will be telling tales on ME all the time
| Brother, haven't bit of use for her. and
! | don't want to hear anything more about
her." and the speaker placed a hand over
each ear. Eyes, lodged her yesterday
he added, land it isn't the first time have
done it either"
"But you will not dodge her again p stern
ly replied Virgil, as he removed Millions
| hands from his ears Listen TO me! /